// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Rui Pires? Pires-ently unknown.
 Pires in a press conference with Troyes in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rui Miguel Guerra Pires | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 22 March 1998 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Mirandela, Portugal | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| –2008 | Mirandela | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2015 | Porto | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2019 | Porto B | 76 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2022 | Troyes | 35 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Paços de Ferreira | 61 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023–2026 | Lion City Sailors | 67 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2026– | Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Portugal U18 | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Portugal U19 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Portugal U20 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Rui Miguel Guerra Pires (born 22 March 1998) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Cambodian Premier League club Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng.
Club career
[edit]Porto B
[edit]Rui began his journey in the acclaimed youth system of FC Porto, where he progressed through the ranks, featuring prominently in its Under-15, U17, and U19 sides. He was subsequently promoted to Porto's B side.
On 7 August 2016, Pires made his professional debut with Porto B in a 2016–17 LigaPro match against Aves.[1]
Troyes
[edit]On 9 July 2019, Pires moved on a free transfer to Ligue 2 side Troyes. He make his debut for the club on 26 July in 2–0 win over Chamois Niort. On 26 October, Pires assisted Lenny Pintor who then went on to scored the winner in the 85th minute in a 1–0 win over Lorient. In December, he suffered anterior cruciate ligament injury ending his season prematurely. He ended up making 13 appearances in his first season.[2]
Pires make his returned on 28 September 2020 coming on as a substitution in a 1–0 win over Clermont Foot. He won the French second-tier Ligue 2 with Troyes in the 2020–21 season where he make 19 appearances.
Paços de Ferreira
[edit]On 26 July 2021, Pires returned to Portugal and joined Paços de Ferreira on loan.[3] His loan was made permanent after a successful loan.
During his time with Paços de Ferreira, Rui showed his capabilities on the European stage, making two appearances in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers against Tottenham.
Lion City Sailors
[edit]On 29 June 2023, it was reported by the Portuguese press that Pires had moved to Singapore to play for Lion City Sailors.[4] He was officially announced as the new signing for the team on 14 July 2023 signing a two-year contract however, as the foreign quota for the league slot is full, Pires will be registered in the club 2023–24 AFC Champions League matches instead.[5] On 26 July 2023, Pires make his debut for the club in a friendly match against Tottenham at the Singapore National Stadium. On 20 September 2023, Pires played his first official game for the club in the 2023–24 AFC Champions League group stage fixture against Thai club Bangkok United in a 2–1 lost.
On 18 July 2024, Pires make his league debut in a 5–0 lost to Tampines Rovers. During the 2024–25 ASEAN Club Championship against Indonesian club Borneo Samarinda, he picked up his second yellow card 35 seconds after receiving the first yellow where he saw red for the first time of his career.
Despite Maxime Lestienne's equaliser in the 91st minute of the 2025 AFC Champions League Two final against Sharjah, the Sailors finished as a runner-up after conceding in the 97th minute to finish the game in a 1–2 defeat.[6]
On 22 September 2025, Pires scored his first career goal in a 7–0 win over Tanjong Pagar United.
Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng
[edit]On 11 July 2026, Pires signed for Cambodian Premier League club Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng.[7]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 30 May 26[8]
| Club | Season | League | Domestic Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Porto B | 2016–17 | LigaPro | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2017–18 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | ||
| Total | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 0 | ||
| Troyes | 2019–20 | Ligue 2 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| 2020–21 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | ||
| Total | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 | ||
| Paços de Ferreira | 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| 2022–23 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| Total | 52 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 61 | 0 | ||
| Lion City Sailors | 2023 | Singapore Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2024–25 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 [a] | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 [b] | 0 | 7 [c] | 0 | 26 | 2 | ||
| Total | 30 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 65 | 2 | ||
| Career Total | 183 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 230 | 2 | ||
- ↑ 2 in ASEAN Club Championship and 10 in AFC Champions League Two
- ↑ 1 appearance in Community Shield
- ↑ 2 in ASEAN Club Championship and 5 in AFC Champions League Two
International
[edit]U20 International caps
[edit]| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 August 2017 | Estádio Municipal de Abrantes, Portugal |  Czech Republic | 0-3 (lost) | 2017–18 Under 20 Elite League |
| 2 | 4 September 2017 | Sportpark Middelmors, Netherlands |  Netherlands | 0-1 (lost) | 2017–18 Under 20 Elite League |
| 3 | 5 October 2017 | Stade des Arbères, Switzerland |  Switzerland | 1-1 (draw) | 2017–18 Under 20 Elite League |
| 4 | 9 November 2017 | Stadion Miejsk, Poland |  Poland | 2-1 (won) | 2017–18 Under 20 Elite League |
| 5 | 22 March 2018 | Estádio Municipal Sérgio Conceição, Portugal |  Germany | 0-1 (lost) | 2017–18 Under 20 Elite League |
| 6 | 27 March 2018 | Academy Stadium, England |  England | 0-3 (lost) | 2017–18 Under 20 Elite League |
U19 International caps
[edit]| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 October 2016 | Estádio Municipal de Fátima, Portugal |  Italy | 1-2 (lost) | Friendly |
| 2 | 9 October 2016 | Municipal da Marinha Grande, Portugal | Italy | 2-1 (won) | Friendly |
| 3 | 15 November 2016 | Stadion Beroe, Bulgaria |  Denmark | 2-1 (won) | 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification |
| 4 | 23 March 2017 | Estádio da Mata Real, Portugal |  Croatia | 2-1 (won) | 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification |
| 5 | 28 March 2017 | Estádio da Mata Real, Portugal | Poland | 3-1 (won) | 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification |
| 6 | 2 July 2017 | Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium, Georgia |  Georgia | 1-0 (won) | 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship |
| 7 | 5 July 2017 | David Petriashvili Stadium, Georgia | Czech Republic | 2-1 (won) | 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship |
| 8 | 12 July 2017 | David Petriashvili Stadium, Georgia | Netherlands | 1-0 (won) | 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship |
| 9 | 15 July 2017 | Tengiz Burjanadze Stadium, Georgia | England | 1-2 (lost) | 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship |
Honours
[edit]Club
[edit]Troyes
[edit]Lion City Sailors
[edit]- AFC Champions League Two runner-up: 2024–25
- Singapore Premier League: 2024–25
- Singapore Cup: 2023, 2024–25, 2025–26
- Singapore Community Shield: 2024; runner-up: 2025
Individual
[edit]- UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2017[9]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Aves 2-1 Porto B". ForaDeJogo. 7 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ↑ "Rui Pires (Ex-FC Porto) operado ao joelho direito".
- ↑ "RUI PIRES CHEGA AO FC PAÇOS DE FERREIRA" (in Portuguese). Paços de Ferreira. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
- ↑ "Piers leaves Paco for LCS".
- ↑ "Rui Pires signs to power Sailors' second foray into AFC Champions League". 14 July 2023.
- ↑ "Sharjah edge Sailors to savour glory". AFC.com. 18 May 2025. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
- ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ "Rui Pires". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- ↑ "Technical Report". UEFA. Archived from the original on 4 November 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
External links
[edit]- Rui Pires at ForaDeJogo (archived)
- Rui Pires at Soccerway
- Stats and profile at LPFP (in Portuguese)
- National team data (in Portuguese)
- 1998 births
- Living people
- People from Mirandela
- Footballers from Bragança District
- Portuguese men's footballers
- Portugal men's youth international footballers
- Men's association football midfielders
- FC Porto B players
- ES Troyes AC players
- F.C. Paços de Ferreira players
- Lion City Sailors FC players
- Liga Portugal 2 players
- Ligue 2 players
- Championnat National 3 players
- Primeira Liga players
- Singapore Premier League players
- Portuguese expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in France
- Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in France
- Expatriate men's footballers in Singapore
- Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Singapore
- 21st-century Portuguese sportsmen